


Another Life

by jhunieilarde



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:07:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 23,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24073432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jhunieilarde/pseuds/jhunieilarde
Summary: In which the Royal Mint heist happened years ago...Sergio and Raquel parted ways in a sad note. Years after, Raquel is now a mother and fleeing from her ex-husband, she found herself in another country. What she doesn't know is her past is just waiting for her around the corner threatening to reopen old wounds and change her life. Will she be able to resist fate? Secrets are bound to be discovered.(...another one, I know. Quarantine life is the one to blame)
Relationships: Raquel Murillo/Professor | Sergio Marquina
Comments: 71
Kudos: 232





	1. The Bookstore

**Author's Note:**

> i am not really good at math so let's just say the gang was young when the heist happened considering Paula wasn't born yet at the time. i keep spinning serquel and new ideas keep popping in my head so here's another one. Enjoy!

It’s been almost eight years since a gang of robbers shocked the world when they robbed the Royal Mint of Spain. It’s been almost eight years since Raquel last saw his face and it’s not even a good memory. That day was the day her world shattered to pieces. She discovered the man she loved was a liar and a criminal. She found out that he had been using her to fulfill his heist and that she was just a tool, a variable for his grand plan.

A lot has happened since then. She got suspended from her work, found out that she’s pregnant, got married to the biggest asshole in the country and suffered years of abuse from her husband’s hands. Her mother also passed away from heart attack and her sister stopped talking to her. It’s easy to say that the last few years had been hell. Looking back, it’s not what she has in mind when it comes to her life. She had so many plans. She wanted to see the world, broaden her experience, fall in love and be happy. All those plans went out the window along with Sergio when he left with his band of thieves and never came back.

Driving along the dark road, she wondered what took her so long to file a divorce from Alberto. She endured years of pain without asking anyone for help. The Raquel she knew before will never tolerate that kind of treatment but she lost herself along the way. When he lost control and pushed Paula to the floor, it’s Raquel’s wake up call. She can take receiving punches and kicks from him but not her daughter. So, she packed up their bags and then filed for divorce the next day. Alberto didn’t take it very well. He felt embarrassed that she is the one divorcing him. He cared more about his image than the welfare of his wife. The judge granted the divorce but Alberto filed for custody of Paula. He doesn’t care about her. He’s only doing it to get back at her, cause her more pain. He’s using what happened during the heist as his defense accusing her of mental instability and that she’s not fit to be a mother.

That’s when she made the rash decision of leaving everything behind. She took Paula and ran away. She kidnapped her own daughter to save her from him. She got enough savings to support them both for a few months. It’s enough time for her to find a new job so she can send her daughter to school. Lisbon was the first place that came to her mind when deciding where to hide from her ex-husband. She used to come to the place with her mother and father and she always loved the city. She found a nice and cheap apartment for them both and Paula seemed to like the environment.

They spent days cooped up in their new home playing board games, spending much time as they can with each other. It felt good to be able to bond with her daughter after years of having divided time with her due to her work. Of course, she missed being a cop but her daughter is her top priority. She always comes first. After a few days and endless takeout meals, the two decided to go out and take a stroll around the city. 

She has never seen her daughter so happy in her life. Paula seems so free and uninhibited. She used to be so guarded and cautious around Alberto. Now, she realized that she made the best choice in her life by freeing her daughter from him. Inside the bookstore, Paula ran fast to the fairy tales' section without waiting for her. She let her be and decided to browse some books for herself. It’s been a long time since she last read something other than case files of criminals. 

Suddenly, she heard Paula talking to someone not far from her. Raquel isn’t worried. She’s rather curious because the topic is all about Disney princesses and she wants to know who her daughter forced to have that conversation with her. 

“Oh, really? I didn’t know that”, the man said.

“It’s true! I saw it in the movie. She’s very powerful. She was able to turn the sea into ice to save her kingdom”, Paula explained with such enthusiasm.

She’s referring to Frozen, her current favorite film. Raquel sighed and shook her head. She needs to save the poor man from her daughter. Otherwise, she will not stop until she narrated the entire plot of the film and then hopped on to the next one.

“Paula, dear…stop bothering the nice man. We need to grab something to eat”, she intervened.

Her daughter frowned in protest, not pleased to be stopped from making a new friend.

“It’s not really a bother. She’s a charming…” the man stopped talking and when she turned to face him she understood why.

Raquel almost stopped breathing. Is she dreaming? If she is, she’s having a nightmare…a really bad one. She should get going, grab her daughter and flee the store as fast as she can but she remained…for the lack of a better word, frozen. It’s Sergio in the flesh, standing right in front of her.

“I was just telling him about Elsa. He doesn’t know she’s powerful”, Paula’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“I know, sweetheart but we really need to go”, she said trying very hard to remain calm.

Sergio’s eyes darted from her to Paula trying to absorb the new found knowledge of her having a daughter. That’s right. He doesn’t know. How could he? He left. He left her and never came back.

“How old are you, princess?” he suddenly asked Paula and it shoot panic into Raquel but before she could stop her daughter, Paula already answered.

“I’ll be turning eight next month. Mama said I can have a party but I still don’t know who to invite because we just moved here. Would you like to come to my party?” Paula answered then asked him back.

Sergio remained focused on Raquel for a moment analyzing, calculating. He then looked back at Paula and smiled.

“I would love to”, he answered and Paula giggled in glee. “Here. It’s my advanced birthday gift to you”, he said and gave her the book entitled Frozen, the one she’s been looking at earlier.

“Thank you!” Paula said.

Raquel cleared her throat and then grabbed Paula’s hand. She took one last look at Sergio before turning away.

“See you soon, Raquel”, she heard him say which made her stopped walking. 

She wants to say something back but decided against it. Her feet moved and took her away from the store.


	2. Who is Paula’s Father?

That night, Raquel wasn’t able to sleep. She keeps thinking about what happened earlier. Sergio was there. He’s in Lisbon. He’s not supposed to be there. He is supposed to be enjoying his riches somewhere else far from Europe. Her thoughts fell on Paula. The knot in her stomach tightened. Of all the places she can bring her daughter, she brought right at the door of the man who almost destroyed her life, the man who inflicted the worse kind of pain in her. She wanted to pack up again and take her daughter far from Sergio but she cannot do that to her anymore. Paula is just starting to settle in Lisbon and she’s happy.  
Eight years ago, she was depressed, crying every night to sleep. She just got suspended from her job after the man she was dating turned out to be the Professor she was chasing. It made her the laughing stock at the station and a fool. After some time, she started feeling sick, vomiting in the morning. She thought it’s just flu. It was until her mother suggested that she took a pregnancy test that it all sunk in. She recognized all the symptoms. Sure enough, the test came positive. She was pregnant. She’s carrying Sergio’s child and he’s nowhere to be found.  
If only she could’ve dove in deeper into her misery but it wasn’t possible. She spent her days and nights drinking. Marivi was lecturing her about the danger of the habit to her unborn child but she didn’t care. She wanted to forget the fact that her child will grow up without a father because he chose to leave with his gang and a billion euros instead of coming back for her.  
One night, she found herself having a drink with Alberto in a bar. He always had a thing for her and she knew it. They ended up sleeping together that night and the next thing she knew, they’re dating and he thought he’s the father of her child. She wanted to come clean but how could she? Her child would have a complete family. She didn’t say a word. They got married and then he turned out to be a monster.  
Back to the present, Alberto is gone from their lives and Sergio is back…sort of and she’s not sure which one is worse. Both men caused her pain, one physically and mentally and the other broke her heart. What’s wrong with her taste in men? Raquel picked up a bottle just to soothe the nerves. She has to remember why she’s in Lisbon. It is to start over and give her daughter the best life possible and she will not let anyone ruin that even Sergio.  
The question suddenly popped in her head. Does she need to tell him the truth? It is the right thing to do. Everyone will gladly tell her that but then she remembered that he’s the one who left. He left her. He chose to stay away like a coward. He could’ve known that before. He is a smart man. He would’ve been able to figure it out but he turned his attention elsewhere so why does he need to know about Paula? No, he doesn’t need to know. He doesn’t have the right to know.  
When the morning came, Paula has been bothering her to let her go back to the bookstore. She insisted that she needs to tell her new friend about the things she learned about Elsa in the book he gave to her.  
“I don’t think we can go today. Mama needs to find a job and we need to find new school for you”, she explained.  
“After then…we can drop by. We can bring him some takeout too”, Paula suggested.  
How would you tell a child that she cannot see her new friend because he’s not a good man, because he takes your heart and then when he fully has it, he will toss you away like you meant nothing?  
“Some other day, honey”, she declined and Paula pouted.  
“He is the only friend I have in this place. I just want to tell him about Elsa. It will be quick. I don’t understand why I cannot do that”, she expressed.  
Raquel felt a pain in her chest. It is not fair to Paula, of course. She will not understand why she’s pulling her away from Sergio but she’s not ready to explain that to her.  
“Alright, we’ll drop by but only for five minutes and then we’re off to school hunting”, she yielded and Paula jumped onto her for a hug.  
Raquel let her child ran inside the store. She doesn’t know if she can bear looking at Sergio after yesterday so she remained outside. The thing is it has been more than five minutes. It has been half an hour since Paula went inside and Raquel is growing impatient so she reluctantly went inside the store only to find Paula and Sergio sitting together while he is reading a book to her. Paula is listening attentively to every word he says and she couldn’t help but blinked the forming tears in her eyes. It is a sight that is not meant to be disturbed but she decided otherwise.  
“Paula”, she called and Sergio stopped reading. “I thought we agreed on five minutes”, she added. Her tone is harsher than intended.  
“It’s my fault. I showed her this book and she wants to know the story so I offered to read it to her”, he said in her defense.  
Raquel’s temper rose up fast. How dare he act like he has been there for Paula her whole life? He doesn’t know a thing about her or their lives before Lisbon.  
“No doubt about that”, she muttered before turning to Paula. “Let’s go”, she said.  
“Paula, would you mind manning the counter for me. Your mother and I just need to talk for a few minutes”, Sergio said to Paula and to Raquel’s surprised, her daughter obeyed him instead of her.  
“I am not in the mood to talk”, she said.  
“You’re not supposed to be here, Raquel. You’re supposed to be in Spain with your husband”, he said.  
So he knows about that, she thought.  
“Well, obviously you’re not that updated when it comes to my life and I don’t owe you any explanation. You’re the one who’s not supposed to be here”, she said.  
He composed his thoughts before his expression went serious.  
“Who is Paula’s father?” he then asked.  
“Excuse me?” Raquel muttered.  
“Please don’t take me for a fool, Raquel. I did the math again and again and it always adds up. It’s either that or you’ve been sleeping with Alberto while we were together. I am not sure which is worse but you’re keeping a secret and I want to know”, he clarified.  
Her worst fear just came through just like that.  
“You have no right to ask me that. You left. I don’t owe you anything. I don’t owe you any answer”, she said while keeping her voice in check so Paula wouldn’t hear.  
“You just gave me the answer, Raquel”, he muttered, his expression softens.  
“Stay away from my daughter. Stay the fuck away”, she said and then took Paula with her and leave.


	3. Sergio

Sergio has always been good with math. On top of that, he knows people who can access Raquel’s medical records as well as Paula’s. He never expected to see her again. The last time they saw each other, she was yelling and slapping him after she found out he’s the Professor. He never blamed her. It was his fault. He let it went on too far. The plan was simple: get close to the inspector and get information about their plan to stop the heist. It wasn’t part of the plan to fall in love with the inspector but he wasn’t able to help himself. She was headstrong, intelligent, full of ideas, and incredibly warm.

Living in Palawan for more than a year had been hell for him. That island was meant for the both of them and Raquel’s mother too. He bought it to be their paradise but he knew that she wouldn’t agree to it after learning who really is. He thought it’s best if he’s far away from her so she would be safe. The police already suspended her because she fell for him. The media scrutinized her for weeks and months. Her name was ruined because of him so he decided to stay away. Though living in the island he bought to be their home was unbearable so he left Palawan and moved to Portugal. Some would say it’s risky but no cops will try to look for him in Europe. It’s hiding in plain sight. The cops will just think they flew to Asia where they will be impossible to find.

He bought a bookstore to keep himself occupied. It is better than keeping himself inside his room wondering what could’ve happen if he told Raquel sooner the truth, if he convinced her that what he’s feeling for her is real. He could’ve tried harder. If only he came back for her and fought for her, he wouldn’t be in Portugal alone. He can never turn back time. He is many things but he’s not god so he contend with his little store and weekly calls with his brother Andres who is living with Martin in Italy.

Now, his somewhat peaceful life has been altered when that little girl walked in or rather ran inside his shop to check the Frozen book. He felt something strange upon seeing her and when he talked with her, he felt at ease like he had known her all her life. Who would’ve thought that the little girl is Raquel’s daughter? He never knew she has a daughter. How would he? He left and never looked back. It was too painful. She was right. He left. He lost track of her and now he doesn’t know anything what became of her life. Why is she in Lisbon? She has a job in Madrid. Last time he checked, she was suspended and not fired. She also got married quickly after he left which hurt him the most.

The reaction on her face when she saw him with her daughter gave all the clues in his brain. She was apprehensive. She wanted to run as fast as she can but not because she doesn’t want to talk to him. No. She wanted to get away as fast as she can so she can take Paula away from him, prevent him from talking to her daughter. Why is that? So he started asking the questions. When Paula told him she will be turning eight next month, he grew even more suspicious. He contacted his friend and asked him to access Raquel’s medical records as well as Paula’s. It took his friend only an hour to send him the full report. Everything is laid out in front of him. He immediately did the math and it all adds up.  
Sergio also checked Paula’s blood type and compared it to Alberto’s and his. There is no way Paula is Alberto’s child. That much is clear. There can only be one explanation. She is his daughter.

Raquel flipped out on him when he asked her that. She doesn’t need to say it. It’s written all over her face. Why didn’t she tell him she’s pregnant? Did she think it wouldn’t make a difference? If he had known, he will moved mountains to get back to her and get her out of Spain. He would’ve fought harder. Perhaps it is the reason why she didn’t tell him about it. She thought if he hadn’t come back for her, then her assumptions about him were true. Him leaving solidified the thoughts in her brain that he only used her for the heist and that he never truly loved her.

Sergio hit the desk lots of times. He was so stupid. He was a fool. People regard him to be a very intelligent guy but he can’t be any stupider in his life. He thought he had no choice at the time. Andres was bleeding to death. He needed to get him out immediately and bringing him to the hospital in Spain wasn’t an option. His face was all over the news. The only option left was to bring him directly to the ship where the doctor he hired was waiting to treat any injured member of the team. He couldn’t simply leave his brother while he fought for his life. He wanted to go back to Raquel, asked her to come with him but he couldn’t. He chose his brother and when they reached the international border, there’s no turning back. He took care of Andres until he was fully recovered.

Would she understand that if he tells her? Would she even listen? He saw the rage in her eyes. He had never seen her like that before.

He waited. He waited for Raquel and Paula to come back to the store but they never did. Weeks passed and they never saw them again. Did they leave Lisbon and move elsewhere? That wouldn’t be fair to Paula after they just got to the city.

“Hey!” a cheerful voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

It’s Paula standing in front of the counter with her backpack. She’s also wearing a uniform. She has started going to school.

“It’s been a long time. How are you?” he asked.

He cannot believe the joy he felt upon seeing her. He had only talked to her three times now and yet he felt like he will do anything for her, even take a bullet for her.

“Fine. It’s just Mama forbid me to come here anymore. I think she doesn’t like you very much which is odd because she always likes my friends”, she answered with a pout.

He wants to tell her it’s not her mother’s fault. It was his but the little girl will not understand.

“Anyway, I came here to give you this”, she said and handed him an envelope. “It’s an invitation to my birthday party. It’s tomorrow at our apartment. You told me you like to come so I am inviting you officially”, she added with a smile.

“Are you sure I can go? What about your Mama?” he asked.

“It’s my birthday. I get whatever I want tomorrow”, she answered and then left the store humming.

Tomorrow, he will attend his daughter’s birthday for the first time and he cannot wait.


	4. Birthday Party

Paula made friends fast at her new school so the expected number of guests for her first birthday in Lisbon went up to almost fifteen. It is a good thing Raquel’s new boss at the café gave her an advance. Of course, Paula wanted a Frozen-themed party and Raquel doesn’t want to disappoint. She’s doing her best to separate their new life now from the one they had before in Madrid. Sure back there they didn’t have to think about money since both she and Alberto earn a lot from their jobs but they were never happy. It’s what Raquel is aiming for, happiness.

The children arrived at their apartment and her living room suddenly was invaded by kids in their best Elsa/Anna…even Olaf costumes. It is a beautiful sight and Paula is clearly having fun. She was worried at first that Paula will have a hard time to blend in with the new school but she’s glad that she’s wrong.

She was in the kitchen preparing the birthday cake and foods when the girls’ started screaming. Her police instinct kicked in and she rushed to the living room with a knife on her hand only to find someone dressed in full Olaf’s mascot while the kids and Paula clamored around it. Raquel frowned for a moment trying to remember if she contacted a mascot for the party. Did she? She doesn’t have the budget for it in the first place so she must’ve not hired one. There is a mascot in her apartment and it’s Olaf so she’s very confused. It is only then when the mascot revealed himself that she understood. It’s Sergio.

Paula invited him from the first time they met. She must’ve let him know about the theme of the party. Sergio met her eyes and then gazed down to the knife she’s holding. She almost forgot about that so she quickly hid it away to avoid any accidents. He frowned at it but he turned his attention to the other kids poking his costume.

“You went to the bookstore”, Raquel said to Paula.

“I gave him the invitation. He is my friend and you said I am allowed to invite my friends. You’re not mad, are you? It is my birthday”, she asked.

Raquel wanted to throw things out of the window but she is a mother and her daughter’s happiness comes first so she suppressed the boiling rage in her.

“No, I am not mad. Of course, you can have what you want for your birthday. I am going to prepare your cake. Go have fun with your guests”, she answered and she received a hug from her daughter in return.

Raquel retreated to the kitchen silently cursing herself for bringing Paula into that bookstore in the first place. She should’ve known Sergio will show up in her house. Now he knows where they live. She can’t kick him out now. Paula will be crushed and the other kids too enjoy having a mascot at the party.

“Great party”, Sergio suddenly said behind her. “Paula made a lot of friends in a short period of time”, he added.

Raquel turned around fast.

“I told you to stay away from my daughter”, she muttered.

“She came to me. What do you want me to do? Tell her to leave?” he asked and walked towards her. “I can’t do that to my daughter”, he added in a lower voice.

Raquel stepped back and shook her head.

“She’s not your daughter, Sergio”, she denied.

“Oh…so you’re saying that your ex-husband is the father of Paula because Paula is Type AB like me and you’re Type B. Alberto is Type O so there is no way he can be her father”, he said leaving her speechless. “You could’ve told me. You could’ve told me you were pregnant”, he suddenly said and that ignited a fire in her.

“…and then what? You’re going to stay? You’re going to abandon your friends? I don’t think it would’ve mattered much to you because you don’t care about anything at all aside from your grand plan. Well, congratulations because you finally made your father proud but don’t think for a second that I am the one who wronged you because I am not. You have no idea what I went through while you were having the time of your life in your paradise”, she exclaimed.

Sergio slammed his fist onto the table startling her in the process.

“I wasn’t having the time of my life, Raquel. I had to leave because they shot Andres. He’s my brother and I couldn’t leave him. He needed medical help so I couldn’t come back for you. By the time he was fully recovered, you already married Alberto so I moved on. We didn’t leave things on a positive note so what am I supposed to think?” he snapped.

Raquel didn’t answer. She is shaking. Her breathing is fast almost panting which confused him.

“Please, don’t hurt my Mama”, Paula’s voice entered the room and she quickly ran to Raquel and draw circles on her arm to calm her down. “Please”, she then pleaded to Sergio who finally grasped what just happened.


	5. Birthday Party Part 2

Sergio turned to Raquel then back to Paula trying to understand how it happened. He never saw her like that before. Since when did Raquel start having panic attacks? The anger in her eyes disappeared and was replaced by fear. Paula looked incredibly worried for her mother. He needs to do something.

“Paula, dear…I’m not going to hurt your mother. I will never do that. I am sorry for raising my voice”, he said.

For a moment he thought the young girl will lash out on him. She did see him snapped at Raquel.

“I know that just please no yelling inside the house. Mama hates it”, Paula responded while continuing the circle patterns she’s mindlessly drawing on her mother’s arm.

It took Raquel a few more seconds before she was able to slowdown her breathing and then turned to her daughter.

“I’m okay, sweetie. Mama just got startled. That’s all. Why don’t you play Frozen on the TV so you and your friends can have a watch party and then later we will serve the cake?” Raquel suggested.

Paula studied her mother’s reaction first before agreeing when Raquel flashed her a warm smile. She went to the living room to join her friends and they all watched Frozen.

“Raquel”, Sergio called but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

“…not here, outside”, she said and then headed out to the balcony to which Sergio followed her.

She casually lit a stick of cigarette to smoke her nerves away. The view from their balcony always calms her down whenever she’s stressed and she has been stressed for a while now. She is aware of Sergio’s eyes on her back. It’s her daughter’s birthday and she can’t even hold it together. She wanted to slap herself for that.

“I am sorry for snapping earlier. I was just…frustrated”, he apologized and she let him talk. “I wanted to make you understand so badly that if there’s another choice that day, I would’ve made it just to be with you but I couldn’t leave Andres like that. He is my brother. He took care of me when our father died. He practically raised me and worked all his life to save mine. I couldn’t just leave him but it doesn’t mean that I didn’t care about you, Raquel. I am very sorry”, he added.

She inhaled more smoke. Liquid courage is what she really needs to go through this conversation but the occasion doesn’t call for booze. Besides, it’s not about her. It’s about Paula.

“I didn’t marry Alberto for the heck of it”, she began to say. Sergio took a few steps so he can see her face. “I didn’t know I was pregnant when you left. When I was suspended from my job, you can say I went through a phase so I thought the morning sickness was just me throwing up after too much tequila the night before. Mama was the one who made me realized that I was pregnant. By the time I returned to work, Alberto was already courting me. One night, I got too drunk and I woke up in his bed. He assumed he’s the father of Paula and he asked me to marry him. I said yes”, she added.

Sergio could’ve said tons of things but he kept it to himself. He wants her to keep talking, to tell him everything.

“At first, it was wonderful. I wasn’t in love with him if that’s what you were wondering but he wasn’t bad either…well, that’s until he shed his skin and reveal his true nature. He was loving towards Paula too at the beginning. Then, it all went to hell so fast I wasn’t able to pinpoint when it actually started”, she continued, her gaze turned inward, recalling the horrible memories.

Sergio doesn’t need her to be specific. He can piece the puzzle together. The look in her eyes earlier, the panic attack when he snapped at her, now the way she talks about her ex-husband…he understands.

“Did he hurt you and Paula, Raquel?” he asked.

The tone of his voice pulled her out of her dark thoughts. There is only one time before when she heard him talk like that. It was back in Toledo when she found out that he was the Professor. His expression is so serious that she is so sure if Alberto is with them right now, Sergio will not hesitate to march to him and beat the crap out of him.

“No, not Paula at least. I made sure of that”, she answered and Sergio almost stopped breathing. “If he got angry at her I just annoyed him to the best of my ability and sure enough, he would be very angry at me that he would forget about Paula”, she explained.

“He hurt you”, he muttered with dark expression.

“I can take it. I know I shouldn’t but for some reason I let it go on for years until I found the courage to take Paula and ran so here we are”, she said with a little smile on her face.

Now, he understands why Raquel moved her daughter with her in Lisbon. She left everything behind in Madrid so she can protect her daughter…their daughter. He felt an overwhelming amount of guilt. That’s supposed to be his job. He should be the one protecting Raquel and Paula. He again wants to argue that he doesn’t know, that she never told him but then again, he never told her about his identity. He never told her about Andres or his plans. It only made sense if she wanted to protect their child from him as well.

“I know I am in no position to ask something from you but I am going to ask anyway. I want to be a part of Paula’s life. I don’t intend to take her from you. I have no right. Few weeks ago, I didn’t know I am a father and now I do and I know I got a lot to make up for. Let me make it up to her…to you”, he said.

“You already left once. How can I be so sure that you won’t do that again? I cannot let my daughter’s heart get broken because of you”, she asked.

“I won’t go anywhere, Raquel. In case you hadn’t notice, I am wrapped around Paula’s little fingers and I can’t escape even if I try”, he answered and then chuckled while thinking about how taken he is of his daughter.

“How about we get through this birthday party first and see where this leads?” she proposed. It’s too soon to decide.

“That’s all I ask. Thank you”, he agreed.


	6. Mother and Daughter

The birthday party was a success despite what happened in the kitchen. The kids had so much fun and so was Paula. Raquel is browsing to the pictures in Paula’s iPad of the events earlier when she suddenly stopped on the picture of her with Sergio and Paula while they were helping her blow the candles on her cake. They were all smiling and if she didn’t know any better, she would mistake them as one happy family. Raquel couldn’t help but cry at the photo. This is the life that she was supposed to have and not the one she had lived with Alberto. They are supposed to be a family but that didn’t happen.

“Fiona took that picture because we’re all by the cake”, Paula suddenly said startling her mother in the process.

“What are you doing up? You have school tomorrow”, she asked carelessly wiping the tears away from her face but it’s too late.

Paula handed her a tissue which made her mother smile. For her age, Paula is incredibly matured.

“You know Sergio from before. Did you have a big fight? Is that why you’re not friends now?” she asked.

Eyes wide, Raquel composed herself in front of her daughter. She’s only eight years old and she already got her father’s brain and her mother’s instincts.

“What makes you say that, dear?” she asked her back.

Paula shrugged.

“I am not a kid anymore, Mama. I know you know each other from before and you’re mad at him. I don’t know why. You argued earlier in the kitchen so I am guessing you had a big fight before that’s why you’re mad at him”, she answered.

…too smart, Raquel thought. 

“Well, yes you can say we had a fight before but that was a long time ago. It’s just that so much had happened and we lost track of each other so we had an argument earlier but that’s just it. You have to know that Sergio will never physically hurt me”, she explained.

Despite everything, there’s one thing Raquel is very sure of. Sergio will never lay a hand on her. He is not that kind of man. In fact, she was the one who had slapped him and kicked him and he didn’t retaliate at all.

“I know that, of course. He is not like Papa. He’s so much nicer”, Paula suddenly said and it made Raquel hold her breath.

To be honest, she has no idea how much Paula knows about what was happening inside their house back in Madrid. She did her best, of course, to shield her from the truth. She sent her to bed whenever she felt Alberto was about to lose his temper but Paula is a curious child. She might’ve seen or heard few things and Raquel can never erase that from her mind.

“You’re right, sweetie. He’s definitely not like your Papa”, she agreed.

After her conversation with her daughter, Raquel was up again all night. Did she make a mistake confirming to Sergio the truth about Paula? He promised to make up for all the years he was not in their lives but she cannot bring herself to fully trust that promise. She has been beaten way too many times and putting her trust on the person that broke it in the first place is a tall order. Remembering the look on Paula’s face, however, she cannot continue to pull her away from Sergio. She cannot deny the fact that there’s a connection between the two and both of them can feel it. What if he leaves again? It will break her daughter’s heart. Can she bring herself to tell Paula the truth about her father? Will she be mad at her?

Before she can find the answer to her questions, the sun is already up.

“Shit”, she muttered and hurried up to get ready.

She took a shower and then prepared two cups of black coffee for herself to wake up her system before waking up her daughter to get her ready for school. After that, she drove Paula to school before going to work at the café. Morning is always the hectic hour at the café and unfortunately, that’s when her shift starts. 

Serving coffee and pastries is far cry from being an inspector but at least the people are nice to her. She doesn’t receive any sexist comments from her co-workers and the customers are polite. She learned fast about making coffees and the manager let her off on her own after the first week. The sleepless nights are beginning to be her problem though. She’s turning into an insomniac and she cannot afford to become one.

“Cup of coffee, please”, a customer ordered so she went to the counter.

“Oh, you got to be kidding me”, she muttered when she saw that it is Sergio who made the order.

He smiled and then chuckled. The irritation disappeared as soon as she saw that smile. He always has a nice smile.

“I don’t know anything about customer service but I am quite sure that is not the way to greet people in the morning”, he teased.

Raquel rolled her eyes around. He also has a thing about polite greetings. She learned that when they were negotiating over the phone back when she didn’t know he’s the Professor.

“I normally greet the customer politely but I make exceptions to some people and that includes you. Why are you here?” she asked.

She’s trying to look tough and annoyed but she cannot hide the smile from forming on her lips. What is happening to her? The man left her and didn’t come back for eight years and there she is smiling like a fool just for seeing his smile.

“I was hoping we can have breakfast together. What time is your break?” he answered then asked.

“I already had my coffee and my shift just started”, she answered.

“Oh, no problem. I’ll talk to Javier so we can eat breakfast together. Hold on”, he said and before she can say anything else, Sergio has already gone to the back.

“Shit…shit…shit…” she muttered under her breath and removed her apron.


	7. Breakfast

Raquel has been in awkward breakfasts in her life before and living under the same roof with an abuser husband entailed lots of awkward breakfasts together but none of those compare to the one she’s having with Sergio at the moment. Apparently, he knows her boss so he easily persuaded Javier to allow her to go out and have breakfast with him. What are the chances? Sergio is always friends with bar owners and now café owners too. She is not sure if it’s all about connections or Sergio is just a friendly guy or as friendly as one can get for an introvert person. When it comes to him, Raquel is always lost.

“You don’t like your food?” he asked catching her attention.

“What?” she asked him back confirming his guess that her mind is far away.

“You’ve been very silent. I was expecting to hear…I don’t know ranting perhaps from you”, he answered.

Raquel scoffed and put down her sandwich.

“I don’t rant. I express my opinion”, she said in her defense. “You’re not talking either so enough with the critical observation. Why did you want to have breakfast with me?” she asked.

His smile disappeared and took a deep breath. Expressing his emotions has always been a struggle for him. It may be a result from growing in hospitals but through the years he was able to learn how to socialize with other people but mostly for research purposes. He interacts with people to know how one should behave while talking to different types of people. He always tends to play a role but with Raquel, he doesn’t feel the need to play one. He feels safe enough to be himself with her. She never made fun of his weirdness. In fact, she told him once that she found it cute.

“We used to have breakfast in Hanoi. Do you remember?” he suddenly asked with his gaze turned inwards in his most treasured memories. “It’s not really proper breakfast since it’s just black coffee and takeout sandwich but we always waited for each other in the mornings and we chat for a few minutes before going to work”, he added.

The irritation in Raquel’s face vanished. It’s been a while since she thought of that. She was like a teenager during those times. She needed to be in the tent early in the morning but she waited in the bar for Sergio just so she could see him before going to work.

“I remember. I also remember that I knew you back then as Salva”, she said.

He unconsciously looked down when she said that and somehow, she felt bad for him. Her emotions are running like pendulum and she can’t keep track how she truly feels for him.

“I am sorry for lying to you like that”, he whispered.

“…I wasn’t part of the plan, I know. You already said it a lot of times”, she cut him off.

“I guess I asked you out now because I want to start over. I like having breakfast with you. I actually like being with you but I know that you cannot continue what we had before because it started with a lie, my lie, so if it will be okay with you, I want us to start over”, he said.

Raquel raised an eyebrow.

“You mean, from the scratch? Get to know, something like that?” she asked.

“Yes, something like that”, he answered and then answered. “…though I must warn you that I am not good with it so please be patient with me”, he added.

It is honestly not a bad idea. Since she found out that he is the Professor and not Salva, she is not sure how much of he told her about himself is true. Starting over might shed some light to that and she can actually get the chance to know him for real. She can at least make that effort if he is really serious about getting involve in Paula’s life. She needs to know him.

“Alright, I can do that”, she agreed and it made Sergio very happy.

He extended his hand to her with a big smile, the one that makes her heart pound hard.

“Hi, my name is Sergio Marquina. What’s your name?” he introduced himself.

Raquel felt ridiculous for a moment as she looks around them. They have been sitting together for almost half an hour and they’re now introducing themselves like fools. She then sighed and took his hand.

“Raquel Murillo. Pleasure to finally meet you, Sergio”, she said.

They chuckled after that. It’s silly but it’s a good start. Not many people get the chance to start over so they’re very lucky.

“Where you from, Raquel?” he asked as he resumed eating his breakfast.

“Bilbao…I’m from Basque Country. You?” she answered then asked him back.

“San Sebastian…but I grew up pretty much everywhere or at least every available hospital there is”, he answered.

So that part was true, she thought. He did tell her while she’s interrogating him in the attic in Toledo that he’s from San Sebastian and that he was hospitalized as a kid. That’s why his father decided to rob banks to allow him to get the medical attention he needed and he died trying.

“You speak Basque?” he then asked with glimmering curiosity in his eyes. He is actually enjoying getting to know her.

“Yes. I do but I don’t use it often since I lived in Madrid. You?” she answered then asked him back.

“Unfortunately, no. I moved when I was little but I would love to learn though”, he answered.

Raquel couldn’t help herself but smile. His enthusiasm is contagious and she can picture herself teaching her the language but she managed to get a grip and forced herself to look at her watch.

“Oh…I need to get back to the café. It’s been almost an hour”, she said as an excuse to get away while she still can.

She knows how easy it is to fall for him. It happened to her in matter of five days. If she doesn’t save herself now, it will be too late. She will fall again for him and that is extremely dangerous.

“Javier said we can take our time”, he muttered, his eyes almost pleading.

“I know but I am new at my job and I don’t want to make a bad impression. He might be your friend but he is my boss”, she explained.

He knows how much she values work ethics and he respects that. He is lucky enough that she agreed to go out with him.

“Alright, I’ll walk you back”, he yielded and got up.

They’re almost at the door when Raquel went lightheaded and almost lost her balance. If it wasn’t for Sergio, she would’ve landed on the floor.

“Are you alright?” he asked in concern.

She nodded and tried to balance on her own but it’s proven to be difficult.

“Yeah…just a little dizzy”, she answered.

“Do you want me to drive you to the hospital? It could be low blood pressure or sugar level”, he offered.

He couldn’t hide the worry in his voice and she felt it. Sergio has always been sensitive and if he would just worry too much if she doesn’t say what’s up with her. His brain will conjure up horrible diagnosis until he convinces her to go to the hospital.

“No, it’s not that. I wasn’t able to get a sleep last night. Well, I haven’t been sleeping much since we got here so I guess that’s what’s wrong”, she explained.

Sergio couldn’t help but feel responsible for that. He is contributing to her stress and she couldn’t get a good sleep because of that.

“Well, you’re not going back to work. I am driving you home so you can rest. You will sleep the rest of the day”, he said.

She turned to him.

“What? I can’t! What about Paula? I need to pick her up from school”, she asked.

“I will pick her up and I promise to take her straight home. You need to rest. Paula can’t have you fainting along the street. Please”, he answered.

She wanted to protest and insist that she can handle herself but there’s no use. She couldn’t even stand properly without the help of the wall let alone drive in her car to get Paula. That’s too risky.

“Fine. Just, don’t buy her ice cream. She always insists on buying ice cream after school and she already had too much sweets this week”, she surrended.

Sergio chuckled as he imagined Paula bugging Raquel for an ice cream. That thought is too cute.

“I promise. I won’t buy her any ice cream”, he said and then helped her walk to the car.

Sergio drove her car to her apartment and helped her to reach her bedroom. It was agonizing to be treated like a cripple but she needs it whether she likes it or not. He then left her to rest promising to bring Paula back home safe and sound. It didn’t take her long to be able to close her eyes and surrender to sleep until she heard knocking on the door. Are they back already? Paula has a key to the door so she knows her daughter wouldn’t knock. Raquel got up and walked to the door despite being sleepy. When she opened the door, she wanted to slam it as fast as she can but it’s too late.

“Hello, Raquel”, Alberto greeted and pushed her back and locked the door behind him.


	8. Father and Daughter

Javier was very understandable when Sergio told him that Raquel won’t be able to resume her shift for the day. She needed the rest so her immune system won’t fail. Of course, the owner teased him a bit about Raquel. He’s been living in Lisbon for years now and the old man has never seen him with a girl before other than Raquel so it’s expected for him to give him a curious look. Sergio just smiled at him and avoided the question. He doesn’t want to assume anything or give an answer without Raquel’s consent.

When the afternoon came, Sergio was beyond excited that he will be able to pick up his daughter from school. He always imagined it to be an amazing experience. Every parent does the school run and he wouldn’t want to miss that part of being a father.

The little girl’s face lit up when she saw Sergio and she ran towards him excitedly.

“Sergio! Are you here to pick me up?” she asked.

“Yes, in fact I am. Your mother is resting at home so I offered to pick you up. Is that alright?” he answered then asked her back.

He doesn’t want her to be uncomfortable with him so he needs to know. Paula just laughed at him and proceeded to his car.

“We can stop by the ice cream store. I want Rocky Road!” she cheered.

[Just, don’t buy her ice cream. She always insists on buying ice cream after school and she already had too much sweets this week…]

Raquel’s voice rang in his ears. No ice cream, he repeated in his head and followed Paula in his car.

“Sorry, kiddo. Your mother told me you can’t have ice cream for the day. You already had too much for the week. I was instructed to bring you straight home”, he said.

Paula pouted and gave him her puppy dog eyes.

“…just one cone and I promised I won’t tell Mama that you let me have one”, she insisted.

“…but I made a promise to your mother and if I let you have an ice cream, I’ll be breaking my word to her. That is not nice”, he explained.

The little girl sighed and leaned back to the seat. She looked at the window and remained silent. She is sulking and he knows it. He wants to resist and stood his ground but how can he when his daughter is sulking? How does Raquel impose rules on their daughter? It feels so hard to deprive her of one dessert!

“Fine, just one cone”, he yielded and Paula turned to him with a smile. “Your mother is going to cut off my head if she finds out I broke my promise. I’m a dead man”, he sighed.

Paula laughed.

“Don’t be a drama queen. Mama will not cut off your head. She will just talk to you long and hard until you cry. That’s her style but I am sure she will understand. You just give her the puppy dog eyes and that should make her smile”, she advised.

Sergio shook his head in disbelief. He is not sure where she gets her wits but he is betting on Raquel because the woman can have her way with him any time she wants.

“Alright, let’s go get that ice cream and please finish it before we reach your home. I don’t want to die just yet”, he said and they drove off.

He did what she asked for and bought her a Rocky Road ice cream. He let her finish it before he resumed driving so Raquel won’t see that he lets their daughter ate the forbidden dessert.

“Sergio…I think our cover is blown”, Paula muttered while they’re on the road.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I stained my uniform”, she answered and showed him the chocolate stain on her white blouse.

“Well, I guess I have to prepare myself for an hour-long sermon from your mother”, he muttered and the little girl laughed hard.

It feels good to know that he can make her laugh. It’s like hearing a little Raquel laugh at his weirdness and it’s the sound he can settle to hear for the rest of his life.

“So, Mama told me you had a big fight a long time ago. That’s why you argued during my birthday but since she let you pick me up from school today, are you two okay now? Are you friends again?” she suddenly asked.

He’s not sure what exactly Raquel told her but it’s clear that she hadn’t told her yet about him being her father.

“Yes, that’s right. We had a big fight but we already talked and we’re okay now. I guess we’re friends again. Is that alright with you?” he answered then asked her back.

Paula nodded.

“Mama doesn’t have many friends. Back in our old house, Papa doesn’t like her going out with her friends from work. He said that after office she should go straight at home. Mama never go to birthday parties without Papa so she’s lonely sometimes. I am glad she finally got a friend now. I want her to be happy”, she answered.

The thought of Alberto micromanaging Raquel makes him sick to his stomach. How can someone treat her like that? Raquel deserved the best the world can offer and yet she hadn’t gotten that.

“What’s your Papa like?” he can’t help but ask.

Paula was silent for a few seconds. She’s gathering up her thoughts before turning to him again.

“He’s always very serious and he gets mad easily. I can’t play with him because he’s always angry and when he gets mad at me, Mama will ask me to go to my room. Then they will fight in the living room. They’re always loud. Papa is always loud. When I go to their room to check on Mama, she’s always crying. My teacher said Papa loves Mama. That’s how it works but I am not sure that my Papa loves my Mama. He wasn’t nice to her and he makes her cry. I am glad we left home and move here”, she answered.

Sergio turned his focus on the road. He needs to control his temper in front of his daughter. He couldn’t even begin to imagine anyone hurting Raquel and hearing it from his daughter makes it even more unbearable. He wants to choke the life out from Alberto and make him pay for all the pain he caused Raquel. Knowing that she and Paula are away from him now is the only comforting thought Sergio has.

When they reached the apartment, Sergio frowned when he saw another car parked outside. It could be owned by the other tenants, he thought but his guts is telling him something else.

“Paula, do you have any friend near here?” he asked.

“Fiona leaves over there”, she answered and pointed on the building a block away from the apartment.

“Do you mind going there for few minutes…make it an hour? It’s just that your mother might still be sleeping and she’s a little sick earlier. I just want to make sure she doesn’t have a flu and you will not catch it”, he asked.

It was an excuse. He needs to make sure that Raquel is alright and if something else happened, Paula doesn’t need to see it.

“…but I thought Mama said we go straight home. She doesn’t know I will hang out with Fiona”, she reasoned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell her you’ll be with your friend”, he said with a smile, at least the best he can manage.

Paula agreed and ran along to her friend’s house. Sergio got out of the car and hurried to Raquel’s apartment. He’s near the door when he heard the voices coming from the inside.

“Where is she?! Where is my daughter?!” the man yelled.

(sounds of crying…groaned…sobs…screams…)

“I asked you a question, you fucking bitch!” the man continued and then there’s a loud bang.

“I will never tell you!” he finally heard Raquel and that’s when he bursts inside the apartment.

He kicked the door down and found Raquel on the floor of her living room and then there’s Alberto hovering over her. He is clutching Raquel by her hair. He noticed that there’s patch of blood on the floor, Raquel’s blood.

“Where is my daughter?!” Alberto asked again.

“She is not your daughter, asshole. She is mine”, Sergio answered catching Alberto’s attention and just like that, a fight erupted with Alberto on the floor and Sergio on top of him, hammering him with his fist again and again.

“Sergio, stop!” Raquel’s voice is the only thing that was able to snap him out and there he saw Alberto bleeding under him.


	9. Sergio's Mission

HALF AN HOUR EARLIER…

“Hello, Raquel”, Alberto greeted and pushed her back and locked the door behind him.

She fell on her ass on the floor but she quickly got back on her feet. How did he find them? She was very careful. She didn’t contact anyone back in Madrid and she told no one where they were heading. She changed her phone number to avoid being traced. How in the world did he find them?

“Do you really think you can just go and hide my daughter from me?” he asked.

She almost wanted to laugh when he said Paula is his daughter because his real father is about to pick her up from school. The laughter didn’t come out of her throat. Her heart is pounding fast and it’s not the good kind. Her heart is pounding fast from fear. She recognized the look on his face. She had seen that look many times over the years and every time he had that look on his face, she always ended up on the floor with her whole body in pain.

“How did you find us?” she asked him back.

She desperately wants to know. What did she do wrong? She took every careful step and still, she wasn’t able to escape his grasp.

“Pilar…I am sure you remember her. She works with me and she was on vacation when she called me that she saw you walking along the market here in Lisbon. Of course, I didn’t believe her at first but she sent me a picture of you shopping. Do you have any idea how much of an inconvenience it is for me to come all the way here to get my daughter? You know how much I hate taking leave of absence from work and you caused me that, you fucking bitch”, he answered.

She was about to say something about that when his fist landed on her face and she ended up on the floor…again. Her cheek stings and she can taste her own blood in her mouth. Is she back in Madrid? It certainly feels like it. He was yelling something but she cannot hear a word he’s saying. Everything is on mute in her ears. There is that familiar ringing there that she couldn’t shake. A kick in her stomach snapped her out of the ringing and everything is back on full volume.

“Are you deaf?!” Alberto yelled.

Raquel coughed and tried to regain oxygen. She’s not sure if he broke some of her ribs but that was quite a kick and it hurts. Breathing is starting to hurt her. There is a big chance her ribs are broken. Could her body be more messed up?

“Where is she? Where is Paula?” he asked but she couldn’t bring herself to talk.

It hurts to move and instead of wasting energy in talking, she would rather use it in effort to breathe. He grabbed her by her arms and pulled her up so she would be facing him. It’s like staring into the pit of hell when she looks in his eyes. There is nothing there, only rage. How can someone be full of rage?

“Where have you taken her?” he asked again and still she didn’t talk.

He slapped her hard again and again and again. She already feels numb on her face. She thinks he kicked her again but she’s not sure where exactly. Everything hurts now. She is just fighting the urge to faint. It will be easier to just pass out. She won’t feel anything anymore but what if Paula walked in the door? She cannot let her daughter live with a monster. The interrogation went on and it felt like forever for her until he grabbed her hair.

“I asked you a question, you fucking bitch!” Alberto yelled.

She gathered all the strength she can managed before looking at him.

“I will never tell you!” she yelled back with all her might.

That’s when the door bursts open. Alberto seemed to have not noticed another person coming in because he kept on going. Everything is getting blurry up until she realized Alberto is no longer holding her.

Raquel looked around her and saw Sergio hitting Alberto on the face again and again and again. She can see blood on Sergio’s fist and on Alberto’s face. Somehow, it made her push herself to move. He’s going to kill him. It’s not that Raquel really cared about Alberto dying but she’s worried about Sergio. He’s not a murderer and it will hit him hard if he kills Alberto with his bare hands.

“Sergio! Stop!” she managed to yell.

It worked. Sergio stopped and came to his senses. He checked for Alberto’s pulse and it’s still there. How he wanted to just end his worthless life right then and there but there’s more important thing to attend to and that is Raquel.

He quickly went to her and assessed her situation. The blood from her face is coming from her head and her nose. She must’ve hit the table when she fell on the floor. He noticed her struggle breathing so he checked her torso and his vision almost go black upon seeing the big bruise on her body. She will need medical attention. That is for sure. He is no doctor but he is very sure that her ribs are broken. That is why she has trouble talking and difficulty in breathing. If not treated right away, it will puncture her lungs.

“Paula…” she muttered.

He understood. All it takes is her name and he understood. Alberto knows where they are now. If he doesn’t kill the bastard, he will come back again. He needs to take them away. He needs to protect his family from a monster. Killing Alberto would’ve been the best choice but he is not a killer. That is a level he won’t stoop and he’s sure Raquel wouldn’t him to either. They need to go but Raquel needs to be treated first.

“She’s with her friend. She’s safe. I will take care of it but you need a doctor”, he said and thought hard about his next step. “I’ll be back”, he said and gently put her down.  
Sergio went to Raquel’s bedroom to gather her and Paula’s passports. He packed everything he could’ve of their things and then called his contact. In ten minutes, his friend arrived and helped her bring Raquel to the car. He then picked up Paula at her friend’s house. Explaining to the little girl what happened was difficult than Sergio had expected. He wanted to sugarcoat everything but he can’t bring himself to lie in front of his daughter. Even though he tries, she can just see right through him.

“It was Papa, wasn’t it? He found us and he hurt Mama like before”, she asked.

Tears are forming in her eyes and he couldn’t do anything to stop them from falling. He couldn’t bear to see his daughter cry. He only wants to see the smile on her face, to hear her laughter, her excitement. Paula being sad and hurt is the worst thing he has ever seen in his entire life. Raquel had already passed out at the backseat. It was from the pain. He already contacted a doctor who will treat Raquel privately. He is still a fugitive and Raquel is being chased by her abusive ex-husband.

“Yes. It was him but I took care of it. He won’t hurt your mother for now. We will take her to a doctor to treat her and we will go someplace where Alberto couldn’t find you and your Mama. I will not let him hurt her again. I promise”, he answered.

He meant every word of it. If it’s up to him, Alberto wouldn’t see another light of day but what kind of example will he set for his child if he stooped to Alberto’s level? It will only make him a monster like he is.

Paula nodded at his promise and turned her attention to her mother. She shouldn’t be seeing Raquel like that but what can he do? They need to get her help and then take them somewhere safe. If he can spare Paula from the truth, he would but there is no other choice.

They arrived at a small clinic at the outskirts of the town. They careful put Raquel on a stretcher and took her inside where the doctor is waiting. Everything is already prepared when they got in. The clinic is fully equipped and the doctor is one of the best in his field. Sergio and Paula waited outside while the doctor is conducting surgery inside to put plates and screws to stabilize her ribs. While waiting, Sergio’s contacts are already arranging everything for their flight. He had rented a private plane so the travel would be more convenient for them. It cost a lot of money but he is a millionaire. Money is not an issue.

The doctor advised him of the things to do for Raquel and how to help her during the healing period. Although weak, he cleared her for travel since they will be on a private plane. They didn’t waste any time and hopped in the plane to get away from Portugal as fast as they can.

Sergio loves his bookstore but he loves Raquel and Paula more than anything. He will leave everything for them. The event that has happened took a toll on the young girl and she fell asleep right away. Raquel is still unconscious. It might take her few hours before she wakes up but it’s fine. She needed the time to heal completely. He had dreamed of having his family with him but he never wanted it to be this way, Raquel beaten up and Paula worried sick for her mother. However, he cannot undo everything. He cannot turn back time and prevent Alberto from hurting Raquel or Paula from seeing her mother hurt like that. He can only work on the future and that is to ensure that no one will ever hurt them again. His mission in life is to make them happy, to give them everything he has, to make them feel loved and cared for.

It was a long trip and the two girls mostly slept the whole way through. When Paula finally woken up, she sat next to him.

“Where are we going to live now?” she asked.

There is no hint of worry in her voice or her eyes. She is rather curious about their destination.

“…to an island in Asia. It’s remote and far but it’s very beautiful. It’s called Palawan”, he answered.

The girl’s eyes lit up.

“We’re going to live in an island? Is Palawan yours?” she asked again.

Sergio chuckled. “No, I couldn’t buy the whole Palawan but I did buy an island for us. It is small but it’s amazing. You will love it there”, he answered. 

Seeing his daughter smile again in excitement is priceless. He wished he can keep her like that, always happy. Across from them, he saw Raquel awake. She’s been listening and watching them. He would’ve asked her what’s wrong but she gave him a smile which told him she’s fine despite everything. She knows about Palawan. It’s the paradise he had promised her a long time ago. It’s always meant for her.

When Paula fell asleep again, Sergio went beside Raquel to check on her. She’s full awake now but she’s on bed rest. Doctor’s orders.

“What did you tell her?” Raquel answered.

He can tell it pains her to talk but no one will be able to stop her from doing that. She’s too stubborn.

“…the truth. I couldn’t lie to her even if I wanted to. Her eyes just stare into your soul, you know, digging out everything”, he answered.

Raquel laughed and then groaned right away when she felt the sharp pain on her chest.

“Yeah…she had that effect on people. She’s the best polygraph test there is”, she teased.

He laughed at that. He remembered how Raquel hooked him up with one before so she could be sure if he’s telling the truth. Now, she doesn’t need a machine to get the truth out of him. She just brings Paula in front of him and he won’t be able to lie to her. The child is a secret weapon.

“How are you feeling?” he finally asked.

“I’ve been better and I’ve been through worse. It will take more than a broken rib to get me down, Professor”, she answered.

The way she called him Professor made want to kiss her but instead of going for her soft lips, he put a kiss on her forehead. He doesn’t want to take advantage of her situation. Nothing is official for them at the moment and he wants her to be the one to tell him when things are settled between them.

“So, Palawan huh? You kept the island?” she asked.

He smiled.

“Of course, I bought it for you. You chose it, remember?” he answered then reminded her.

“I did. Well, I couldn’t wait to finally see it”, she said.

“Me too, my love…me too”, he replied.


	10. Palawan

The island is everything like what Sergio told her. It’s beautiful, breathtaking, a paradise. She couldn’t believe at first that a place like that can exist in the world, especially in the kind of world that she has lived in. Walking hurts like hell but she insisted in doing so rather than having Sergio carried her all the way. He’s been doing a lot for them already. It would have been too much to make him carry her like that. 

She had dreamed a thousand times about the life she could’ve been with him if he had come back for her. She would’ve been living with him in this very island with Paula and their daughter would’ve known love all her life. She wouldn’t have seen her mother all beaten up by the man she thought to be her father. In those nights where she would cry in her sleep because Alberto had forced her to do things she wouldn’t want to or he had struck her so hard she forgot to use her voice, she would wish for Sergio to magically appear in her room and take her away from the monster she married.

It seems like her wish came true. It was delayed though but it did come true. He came and he took her and their daughter away from the monster and brought them to the paradise. Raquel wanted to cry right then and there but that would’ve been too much for Sergio and Paula. They are both so worried about her and if she breaks down now, it will send them to hysterics so she kept her emotions locked inside her.

Sergio brought them to a nice house near the beach. The house is very simple, made of bamboos and it’s very refreshing. Of course, it matches the view and Paula is giggling and cheering as she ran around the beach. She always loved the ocean. When her mother was alive, she used to take Paula to swim at the beach. When she passed away, Raquel couldn’t bring her daughter there because Alberto forbade her to do so. He thought it was a waste of time and money.

“We should go inside. You’ve been walking quite a lot and you need to rest now”, Sergio said to her.

Of course, she wants to protest. She is still enjoying watching her daughter play on the sand.

“You will have plenty of time to see her like that. We will live here, remember? Right now, you need to rest so you can heal and go back to normal”, he explained.

He does have a way with words and he always manages to persuade her. She will not win with him when it comes to her health. He is as stubborn as she is.

“Alright…will she be okay out here?” she agreed and asked.

“Ana will be watching over her. She works her to clean the house and work the kitchen. She’s very nice and good with children. There’s no need to worry”, he answered and that made her feel at ease.

If Sergio trusts her then she does too. He assisted her in going inside the house. They’re bags are already in their rooms. She figured it must have been Ana who carried all of them. She made a mental note to personally thank her for that.

The inside of the house is even more gorgeous. Everything is so fresh to her eyes. The colors are very calming and there is a hammock near in between the dining area and the living room. She loves hammock. She always wanted one in their house in Madrid but then again, Alberto was against it. Now, she got one.

Sergio saw the way she looks at the hammock and it made him smile. Of course, he doesn’t know if she will like it but he thought that she might. She used to be focus on her job so he bought the hammock for her to use and relax.

Raquel insisted on going to the kitchen. She’s exhausted from walking but she will get plenty of time to rest afterwards. At the moment, she wants to tour the house and the kitchen is her first stop. The room is very tidy and organized. Right then and there, she fell in love with it. She couldn’t wait to use it and make meals for all of them but that wouldn’t be right away. Sergio will not let her work the house until she’s fully recovered. Their next stop is Sergio’s study room. It is filled with books as expected but something about it makes her feel comfortable. Perhaps, it’s the style of the room. Its vibe. It is very Sergio. It even smells like him despite the years he hasn’t been around. Sergio also showed her Paula’s room, two other bedrooms and the master bedroom.

“You can take this room. I will move to the guestroom so you can have some privacy”, he said.

That made her raised an eyebrow.

“No, that’s okay. I can take the guestroom. This is your house”, she said.

“I bought all of these for you so this is yours”, he said.

Knowing the fact that he bought an entire island for her is overwhelming. No other person in the world will do that for her. Despite that fact, she cannot just take it. It is too much.

“Fine. If you want me to stay in this room then you will sleep here as well”, she proposed.

Now it’s Sergio’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“Raquel, it’s not that I don’t want to because I do but I don’t want to presume and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable”, he explained.

“Sergio, I never felt uncomfortable when you’re next to me. On the contrary, I feel safe”, she said and it left him speechless. “Don’t let that get into your head”, she teased to break the tension.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I don’t want to be alone especially at night”, she confessed and that’s enough for him.

“Alright. I will stay here with you. Let’s get you settled”, he agreed and helped Raquel to bed.

It was painful but once she’s comfortable on the bed, she can feel the exhaustion catching up with her. She’s really tired. She was about to doze off when she heard loud voices coming from the outside. At first, she was alarmed but when she saw the look on Sergio’s face, she calmed down. He is not alarmed. He’s more like annoyed. Suddenly, the door went opened and two men came in.

“Hermanito! I am so glad to finally see you again”, Andres greeted with his smile from ear to ear while having Martin at his side.


	11. Andres and Martin

Raquel watched the two brothers talked with each other with such fascination. She couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that they are actually brothers. Sergio is very sensitive, awkward, an introvert, and caring person while Berlin…Andres is reckless, confident, aggressive, and a little bit of a sociopath. Sure they are both intelligent people but there are so much differences that makes her question if they have indeed the same blood. She also noticed that the man next to Andres, Martin, is his lover. That also shocked her to the core not that she has any problem with it. It’s just that after the Royal Mint heist, she found out about Andres and Ariadna so she assumed that he’s into girls, young girls to be exact.

Sergio ushered his brother out of their room to give Raquel some privacy and time to rest.

“I thought you’re in Italy”, he muttered.

“We were but we wanted to go on vacation and watch the sunset. This island is very much available and I thought you wouldn’t mind”, Andres explained.

“No, I don’t mind. I wish you let me know first”, Sergio said.

Andres’ eyes gazed upon the bedroom door and then to the window with the view of Paula playing with Ana outside.

“I can understand why you would want that. So tell me, hermanito, when did you and the Inspector get back together?” he asked.

That caught the attention of Martin and almost sent him into hysterics.

“Inspector? You mean that woman in there is a cop? Why did you bring her here in the first place!” Martin exclaimed.

“Would you please calm down?” Sergio said to him and waited for him to regulate his breathing. “Raquel left the police. She and Paula moved to Lisbon to escape her ex-husband. I didn’t know about it and she sure didn’t know I was there. It’s really an accident the way we met again”, he answered.

Martin isn’t convinced about that answer. To his eyes, Raquel is still a cop.

“Ex-husband, that is a good sign. What about the little girl?” Andres asked, a little hopeful for his little brother.

Sergio took a moment. He doesn’t really know how to break it to Andres but is there any other way? It’s not like it is a bad thing. He is happy about that fact.

“That little girl is my daughter”, he answered.

The two gentlemen’s eyes almost popped out from their sockets. It is not an everyday news that you just digest. Sergio being a father is not everyday news at all.

“Why don’t we sit down for a moment? I don’t think this conversation is meant to have while standing. Some of us might faint”, Martin suggested and they all agreed.

The three men settled in the kitchen. Martin prepared them drinks to help with the discussion.

“Are you sure she’s really your child?” Andres asked.

It’s not that he’s not thrilled about it. He is. He always wanted Sergio to fall in love and have a family of his own. He wants him to be happy but all of it is so sudden. He fears his little brother is not prepared for that kind of life.

“Yes, I am sure. I checked their medical records. Plus, Raquel admitted to it when I confronted her about it. She didn’t know she was pregnant when we left. Then Alberto came into her life and he hurt her. He beat her up. I saw it with my own eyes when he found them in Lisbon”, Sergio answered.

The smile on his faded and anger filled his eyes. Andres isn’t used to seeing his brother like that but he can understand. He had always taught Sergio about respecting women, loving them, caring for them. Learning what happened to the woman his brother loves makes him want to knock Alberto’s door and mess him up good. Martin wants that same thing too. They share the same views. Cop or not, no woman deserved to be treated like that.

“I almost killed him, Andres. I was hitting and hitting him and I couldn’t stop. He hurt her. She was there on the floor bleeding and I couldn’t stop myself. Only Raquel’s voice snapped me out of it before I was able to actually kill him”, Sergio added.

Despite his anger for the man, Andres wouldn’t want Sergio to experience taking someone’s life. That’s not meant for him. It is his own forte not Sergio’s.

“That’s why you brought them here so you can protect them”, he concluded and Sergio nodded.

“Does Paula know the truth?” Martin asked.

“No, not yet. Raquel and I haven’t discussed about that yet. We were…starting over. We agreed to start over, you know, no more lies. It was fine up until Alberto showed up. I don’t want to rush Raquel either so not yet”, he answered.

The conversation was disrupted when Paula came in rushing while holding shells in her hands. She dropped all of them onto the table to show Sergio what she has collected.

“Paula, I wanted you to meet some people. This is Andres. He is my big brother and this is Martin. He is my friend”, Sergio introduced the two gentlemen to her.

“Hi, my name is Paula. Have you met Mama already? Ana said she’s resting. Her name is Raquel”, she said with a smile and the two men couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Yes, we met your Mama. She is very nice and pretty like you”, Andres said.

“I don’t think I am like her. She is prettier but I will be that pretty too someday when I grow up”, Paula muttered.

Her cuteness is devouring both Andres and Martin in whole. They were also surprised by how mature she is considering her age.

“Look! I got all of them at the shore. Well, Ana helped but I picked them. Are they pretty?” the little girl asked Sergio.

The expression on his face shifted right away and Andres and Martin saw that happened. He was so taken by Paula that everything around him disappeared and only her remains the center of his world.

“They are very pretty”, Sergio answered.

“Do you think Mama will like them? I thought they will make her feel better”, she asked again.

There is still that hint of worry in her eyes. She felt at ease a little after Raquel reassured her on the plane that she is feeling better after the doctor checked on her. Paula wanted to buy that except she can see her mother wincing from pain time after time.

“I had an idea. Why don’t we make your Mama a nice necklace from these shells so when she wakes up, she can wear it?” he suggested and that made the little girl excited.

Sergio turned to his brother who only nodded at him and smiled. He took Paula to his study so they can start making the necklace for Raquel leaving Andres and Martin in the kitchen.

“You’re seriously thinking about going to Madrid to gut that son of a bitch?” Martin asked Andres.

“Well, it is a very promising idea but not right away. For now, let’s spend time with Sergio and his newly acquired family. Once they’re all settled here, then I will gut that son of a bitch. Sounds good?” Andres answered then asked him back.

“As long as I get to watch and enjoy, sure”, Martin answered.


	12. Before Breakfast Time

Due to her medications, days come and go for Raquel. Sometimes, she would wake up in the middle of the night with Sergio sleeping peacefully next to her. The last few days had been a blur for her. She can recall Paula coming in the room and gifted her with a necklace made out of shells. She mentioned that she and Sergio made it just for her. Sergio would tell her stories about something he read at night or the history of Palawan.

When she fully came back to being herself, she finally explored the house on her own. The sting in her chest is still there but it’s more manageable. She saw Paula playing outside with Ana by the beach. Her first instinct is to go there to kiss her daughter but she smelled something delicious in the kitchen and she felt her stomach complained.

Raquel ventured to the kitchen and found Andres cooking them breakfast. She is not sure if it’s proper to laugh because he’s actually wearing an apron but a smile has already escaped her lips by the time he turned to her.

“Ah, Inspector! You’re finally up. Come and sit. I am almost done with the breakfast”, he greeted.

Few years ago, he faced that man inside the bank and he’s rather looking like a coldhearted criminal who tried to get under her skin to buy more time. Now, he’s all smiles, at peace, and actually happy.

“I didn’t realize you can cook”, she said.

“Oh, you’ll be surprised. Raising Sergio by myself, I needed to learn some skills to keep us both alive. As time goes by, I fell in love with cooking and now I can’t stop”, he explained and then walked towards the table. “Can I get you anything?” he asked.

“Coffee, please”, she answered and he made one for her right away.

“There you go”, he said as he puts down the cup.

“Thank you”, she replied with a smile.

Andres observed her as she took a sip of the coffee. He can tell she is still recovering from the pain of her broken ribs but she is also tough. Most people will just stick to the bed until they fully recovered but not her. She’s very eager to get out of bed and move around. Sergio went in panic couple of times when he couldn’t find Raquel in their room. She’s mostly dazed during those times due to the painkillers but it attests to her strength. No wonder she survived years of living under the roof with an abuser.

“My little brother filled me in about you and my little niece”, he suddenly said and she almost dropped the cup. “Don’t worry. No one has said anything to little Paula. We all respect your decision about that”, he added to keep her calm.

She took a deep sigh before nodding at his direction.

“Thanks. I guess you also know about my ex-husband and what happened in Lisbon”, she muttered.

“I know what Sergio told me and don’t worry about that bastard. He won’t be able to touch you here. You’re both safe here”, he assured her and she appreciates that. 

Despite having Sergio telling her that multiple times at night, it still helps to hear it from time to time. She thought they would be safe in Lisbon but Alberto managed to find them and break her ribs so she’s not too complacent anymore.

“Listen…I want to apologize to you”, Andres started.

“…about the heist? It’s all forgiven. I was told you did that as an homage to your father and I get it. Of course, it’s still illegal but I don’t know who’s the bad guy and who’s the good guy anymore so I am in no position to judge. What I am trying to say is we’re good”, she cut him off.

Andres chuckled and leaned back at the sink.

“That’s not what I was trying to apologize for but thank you”, he muttered and it got her an ‘oh’ reaction from Raquel. “I want to apologize to you because of me Sergio had to leave you behind. Believe me, he wanted to stay and talk to you to convince you to come with him but he couldn’t leave me. I tried telling him to come back for you but he insisted on taking care of me until I got better. Those days I think were the hardest days for him. I have never seen him so depressed like that. When he told me he wanted to live in Portugal to start fresh, I know I just had to let him go. Otherwise, he would just keep himself in his room every single day. What I am trying to say is that, it wasn’t his fault that he wasn’t able to come back for you. It was mine and I am sorry”, he clarified.

His eyes are full of sincerity far from what she had seen in them years ago. Perhaps, she had been wrong with her presumptions about good and bad.

“Thank you for telling me that and like I said earlier, you and I we’re good”, she said.


	13. First Family Meal

Sergio came home from town carrying grocery bags. He did the run for supplies while Raquel was still sleeping. When he came inside the kitchen, he found her there with Andres and Martin laughing at something the latter has said. No matter how strange the scene is, he couldn’t help but smile seeing his brother and Raquel getting along. The two didn’t start on a good note due to the heist but he’s glad they found a common ground. They are both important in his life and it means a lot for him that they’re not going after each other’s throat.

Martin is the first one to notice his presence. He gave him an approving kind of look which means he likes Raquel for him. He doesn’t need anyone’s approval about Raquel but receiving them from Martin and Andres doesn’t hurt either. It is nice to know that there will be peace inside the house. Sergio was worried about that at first when he found out the two lovebirds are in the island. He thought they wouldn’t warm up to Raquel because she was a cop but things have changed.

“How’s the grocery run, Sergio?” Martin asked.

Andres and Raquel turned to him both with smiles on their faces. Raquel is looking better and better. She got the colors back on her cheeks. The bruise on her face has already healed as well as the cut on her head. The broken ribs are healing nicely too although sometimes he can still see her wincing.

“Fine, I suppose. I got everything on the list”, he answered and then turned to Raquel. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Better. It’s good to be out of the haze. Those painkillers are really strong”, she answered.

Sergio adjusted his glasses.

“Well, they are meant to help you with the pain”, he explained.

Andres suddenly laughed.

“Hermanito! I quite remember that you didn’t pursue a medical degree. Quit treating her like a baby! She’s doing better now and it will do her good to stretch her legs”, he exclaimed.

Raquel suppressed her laughter while Martin failed to contain his.

“I was just concerned. That’s all”, Sergio muttered while looking down the floor in embarrassment.

“I appreciate it, Sergio. Thank you but I am better now. I would feel much more relax if I can see people and the sea from time to time”, Raquel said and they met each other’s eyes.

She looked more at ease than before. Perhaps, she’s really feeling better now. Serge wants to contend with that but he cannot help but feel protective of her since he saw her bleeding on the floor. It is an image that gives him nightmares every night and he never wants to see that again.

“So, now that everyone’s here…can we have our breakfast?” Martin asked and everyone nodded.

“Sergio kindly call my dear niece outside. I made her favorite pancake with blueberries. Little princess won’t stop bugging me until I make one for her. She certainly got her stubbornness from the two of you”, Andres said.

Sergio looked at Raquel in alarm. He failed to mention to her that he told them everything about Paula but she only smiled. Andres must have told her already and she seems okay with it. He went to get Paula and Ana outside.

“Mama!” Paula exclaimed as soon as she saw Raquel in the kitchen.

In her enthusiasm, she forgot about her mother’s injuries and she suddenly jumped to her for a hug. Raquel groaned when the pain hits her and Paula stepped back with horror in her eyes. She is shocked at her mother’s reaction. Raquel gripped the table to relax herself while breathing in and out. It is a good thing she’s sitting down. Otherwise, she would’ve landed on the floor by now.

“Paula!” Sergio exclaimed and went to Raquel right away.

It took Raquel few seconds to gather herself and looked at him.

“I’m okay. It’s fine, Sergio”, she assured him but Sergio is in full alert mode.

“Mama, I’m sorry. I forgot”, Paula apologized.

Sergio was about to say something when Raquel found his hand and squeezed it to stop him.

“It’s alright, sweetie. We all get excited sometimes. Come here…just slowly, okay?” she said and Paula walked to her carefully.

Raquel wrapped her arms around her daughter. It’s been a while since she last embraced her and she missed it. She then looked at Sergio and the fume in his eyes disappeared. She understood why he was upset but he cannot explode on Paula. At least, not during the heat of the moment. When her daughter pulled away from her, Paula turned to Sergio who is still kneeling next to them.

“I am sorry, Sergio. I will be more careful. I promise”, she said to him and that evaporated whatever negative feelings he had few seconds ago.

“That is good to hear and I expect you to keep your promise”, he said and Paula nodded.

Andres cleared his throat and they all took their seats for breakfast. Paula yelped when he served her the pancake she requested.

“Thank you, Uncle Andres! You’re the best!” she exclaimed and everyone in the table came to a halt.

Did she just call Andres her uncle? They all looked at each other and the little girl doesn’t seem to notice that no one is eating aside from her.

“Paula, dear…may I ask why you called Andres your uncle?” Martin was the first to pop the question.

Paula looked at him with mouthful of pancake. She swallowed and then took a sip of her juice.

“Sergio is my papa now, right? I heard him talking to Uncle Andres about Mama and he said that he loves her. I think Mama loves him too so that makes Sergio my new Papa. Uncle Andres is Papa Sergio’s brother so that makes him my new uncle. That’s my teacher told us at school”, she answered in a matter of fact voice and then resumed eating.

Raquel and Sergio, both red as tomatoes, looked down at their empty plates. Andres couldn’t hide the smirk on his face. their daughter just revealed their feelings for each other on the dining table like a mic drop and none of them contested that revelation. Of course, there is only one flaw in Paula’s analysis of things. Sergio is not her new Papa. He is her Papa but he will leave that to Raquel to break it to the young girl.

“I, for one, love to be an uncle so you can call me Uncle Andres any time you want, princess”, Andres said to Paula and that got him a warm smile from her.

Sergio cleared his throat and gestured towards the food on the table.

“Food is getting cold, no? Let’s eat”, he said awkwardly as Raquel chuckled.

Martin raised his spoon and fork. “Yeah, let’s eat, Papa Sergio”, he teased and the grown-ups laughed with the exception of Sergio and Paula who’s wondering what’s so funny about that.


	14. I Love You

It was late at night and Raquel is watching Sergio arranged the closet properly. He volunteered to fold the laundry for her so she won’t have to. They’ve been at the island for more than a month now and he’s still treating her like she just came out of surgery. Her ribs had healed nicely but she’s forbidden to do anything extreme like sports or carry heavy objects. Sergio went overboard by limiting her work inside the house. He appointed Ana to clean everything but when he’s not looking, Raquel does what she can to help.

For the first time in her life, someone finally treated her like a person, like a gem, like she’s the most important person in the world. The feeling is familiar because she had felt that way before…eight years ago in Madrid, during the heist. It’s the same man who made her feel that way before and he is right in front of her arranging her clothes inside the cabinet. Earlier that night, he had read Paula to bed. It’s been two weeks now since he started doing it as per Paula’s request. Their daughter has been calling him Papa ever since that fateful breakfast. They talked about when they will tell her the truth but Sergio wanted to wait. He wanted to be closer to her for now, spend time with her. He wants to make up for all the lost chances he could’ve had if he hadn’t left.

“Keep staring at me like that and I will melt”, he muttered and it pulled Raquel back to the present.

He is now done with the closet and is looking back at her with a smile. Oh, how she loves that smile…she knows she has to be cautious, to guard her heart harder but she already went over the gate with Sergio. She already crossed the line when she had that breakfast with him in Lisbon. When he gave her that smile, she knew she was done for. There is no use of fighting it anymore because it’s hopeless. She has fallen once again with him and there’s no going back.

“I love you”, she uttered and then looked in his eyes.

Stunned, Sergio just remained frozen on the edge of the bed looking right back at her. Did she just tell him that? Did he hear her right? She just said that she loves him. 

“I might need to call the doctor again. He might have missed a diagnosis of concussion”, he muttered nervously and unconsciously adjusted his eyeglasses. “Are you sure? Because you were pretty angry at me and I completely understand because I am the one who screwed up…” he added but she cut him off when she crawled on the bed towards him and pressed her lips to his.

It’s like time has stopped around them. Years had passed since their lips last touched and it all felt natural, normal, destined. It felt like home. When Raquel pulled back, he is already staring at her eyes like he’s searching if it’s real or if he’s just dreaming.

“I don’t have a concussion, Sergio. When I said that I love you, don’t doubt that I meant it as something else”, she said.

She tried to fight it. God knows she tried her best but she’s tired of fighting. She has been fighting all her life for so many things and losing to Sergio’s love isn’t losing at all. It is winning.

“I love you too, Raquel…always have and always will”, he muttered with a smile on his face. His eyes are tearing up. “You have no idea how long I have waited to hear you say that again and quite frankly, I was afraid I will never hear it again”, he confessed.

She cupped his face with her hands and pressed another kiss to his cheeks.

“I know we agreed on starting over again but I don’t want to start over. I don’t want to erase what we had eight years ago. It was perfect. It’s true that it ended up on a bad note but it was beautiful. Those had been the best five days of my life and it gave me Paula. I don’t want to start over. What I want is to continue what we started if that’s alright with you?” she asked.

Sergio blinked a few times and nodded his head.

“If that’s alright with me? Raquel, I bought this island for you. It is more than alright with me. It’s all I ever wanted. I wanted to be with you and now to be with Paula as well”, he answered.

They wrapped each other with their arms and kissed until they ran out of breath. Then, Raquel pulled back again to look at him.

“Paula…she needs to know the truth. I can’t keep lying to her anymore. I have already done that all her life. She deserves to know the truth”, she said.

“I agree. I am desperate for her to know the truth as well. Tomorrow, you and me…we do it together”, he agreed and she nodded.

That night is their night and they’re not going to waste any second of it. They savored each other, rediscovered each other’s bodies like they never had done it before. It was slow and beautiful because they are in no rush. They have lifetime ahead of them. They have each other. They always have each other.


	15. Blood Type

That morning, Raquel opened her eyes and found herself in Sergio’s arms. He is already awake and is looking right at her with smile on his face. She smiled back and chuckled.

“How long have you been watching me sleep?” she asked.

“…not long enough. You look so beautiful when you sleep”, he answered.

She scoffed and laughed at him then covered her face with her hands.

“Stop! I look hideous in the morning”, she exclaimed.

Sergio carefully removed her hands from her face so he can see her. He loves seeing her afraid that he’s going to lose her again.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life and I cannot believe that you’re with me right now”, he said.

He is serious. She studied his face for a few seconds before running her hand gently on his cheek.

“I am here and I am not going anywhere”, she muttered.

“I almost lost you, Raquel. I lost you the first time when I left and then seeing you in your apartment in Lisbon like that, I felt like I’m going to lose you again. Every night, I dream of that day again and again. I kept on having nightmares about losing you so I don’t want to stop looking at you. I can’t. I am scared that one day I will wake up and all of this would’ve been just a dream, that you and Paula aren’t really here and that I am still alone”, he confessed.

Raquel frowned. Sergio has been having nightmares and she doesn’t even know about that. It hadn’t occurred to her how he must’ve felt about witnessing Alberto beat her. He never gave her any reason to think about that. All he ever did since they arrived in Palawan is to take care of her and their daughter.

“My love, I am right here. We went through hell but that’s behind us, right? I am sorry that you are having nightmares about it but it’s over. You said it yourself. We’re safe here. You don’t have to fear about it anymore”, she said.

He only held her tight like she’s his lifeline. Without her, he will be lost. His life will be meaningless. The image of Raquel bleeding on the floor is still there in his brain but her touch is detaching him slowly from it. It is real. She is with him and it’s real. It’s not a dream.

Raquel put kisses on his neck and then to his face. She is very determined to pull him out of the dark waters that’s sucking him in. Shen then smiled at him.

“You know this is the day we’re going to tell Paula the truth. Any thoughts on how we do this?” she asked.

Sergio cleared his throat and tried to picture different ways how their daughter will react about the news. The most natural reaction will be Paula being mad at them for keeping it a secret. She will most likely be and at Raquel because she lied to her the longest but she will be mad at him too because he knew and he didn’t tell her right away. The other possibility is that she won’t get mad at all because he established a good relationship with her from the start and she’s already considering him her Papa. 

“She might get angry at the both of us. Well, you most of all”, he answered.

Raquel sighed. She already thought of that. That’s why she delayed telling her the truth because she’s scared her daughter will stop talking to her anymore but she also knows she cannot hide it from her forever. There is no reason to do so. Sergio will never hurt their daughter. She has seen how he is as a father already and Paula deserved a loving father.

“I know but it’s the price I have to pay for lying to her all her life. She needs to know the truth”, she said.

It’s his turn to caress her face. He cannot believe how selfless she can be. She can choose to bury the secret forever and he wouldn’t object to it if that’s what she wants but she’s willing to risk her relationship with her daughter for the truth.

“It will be fine. I have faith in Paula”, he said and that made her smile.

“Well, let’s get this over with”, she said.

During breakfast, the couple is very quiet. They are trying to assess the situation if their daughter is in a good mood. Andres and Martin kept glancing their way but didn’t say anything. Once they’re done, Raquel called her daughter outside. They sat together on the bench near the shore. Sergio followed the two ladies and joined them.

“Paula, we have something very important to tell you. It’s going to be very hard to understand and you might end up hating me for some time”, she started.

“That’s not true. I can’t hate you, Mama, because I love you very much”, Paula disagreed.

Raquel turned to Sergio who gave her an encouraging smile. She took a deep breath and turned back to her daughter.

“Alright, here it is. Paula, do you remember when you asked me before if Sergio was my friend from years ago?” the little girl nodded. “Well, he’s not just my friend. He’s my boyfriend and we loved each other very much and we still do but we had a fight like I told you and he left. That’s when I knew I was pregnant with you, my sweet pea. It happened before I even start seeing your Papa Alberto”, she continued.

Paula listened with both ears so Raquel got a good grip of herself and went on.

“Paula, Papa Alberto is not your real father. Sergio is your real Papa”, she finally said but the little girl didn’t say anything. “I know it’s hard to understand right now but it is the truth and I am very sorry for keeping it to you for a very long time but now I am telling you the whole truth. Sergio is not just your new Papa. He is your Papa and…”

“I know”, Paula cut off her mother.

Raquel was left with her mouth wide open while Sergio frowned. Paula, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to surprise by the news.

“What do you mean you know, honey?” he asked.

“I heard you at my birthday party. You were arguing in the kitchen so I went there to check on you. Papa said that I am Type AB just like him and Mama is Type B. Papa Alberto is Type O so that means Papa Sergio is my real father. I asked my teacher in Science about blood types but I didn’t tell her that it’s about my blood type and she told me that if a papa is Type O then he cannot be the father of a baby that is a Type AB with a mother who is a Type B. That means Papa Sergio is my real father”, she explained.

Now, Raquel and Sergio are both dumbfounded. That’s quite a long time and Paula has known all along.

“Sweetie, why didn’t you say anything?” Raquel asked.

Paula looked down for a moment before meeting her mother’s eyes again.

“I was scared you’re going to be mad at me for eavesdropping. I know you said it is rude to listen to other people’s conversations and I did because I was curious so I didn’t say anything because I don’t want you to be mad at me”, she answered.

Sergio suppressed his laughter. His daughter is not mad that they kept that secret from her but she’s worried her mother will be upset because she eavesdropped at them.

“Oh, sweetie…I am not mad at you although yes, it is rude to eavesdrop but I am not mad at you, no”, Raquel said as she put a kiss on her daughter’s forehead. “So, you’re okay with that? You’re okay with Sergio being your real Papa? You’re not angry at Mama?” she asked once she pulled back.

Paula shook her head and smiled.

“Papa Sergio is the best Papa in the world and I am very happy that he’s my papa and I will never be angry with you, Mama”, she answered.

The two sighed in relief. They honestly thought telling their daughter the truth will be a lot harder but apparently, Paula already beat them to it. Perks of having a curious and smart kid.

“I guess we should head back inside and announced to your uncles inside the news”, Sergio suggested and the two girls agreed.

The family went back inside the house with smiles on their faces. They wanted to deliver to Andres and Martin that they’re an official family as of today and that Paula is okay with everything when they found the two in front of the television. It’s connected on a cable to a Spanish channel. Raquel’s face is on the screen side by side with her ex-husband.

Sergio immediately pulled Paula behind him so she wouldn’t see the screen. Ana was quick to take the young girl outside the house while Sergio went next to Raquel who almost stopped breathing as she watched the news.

“…according to the report, Alberto Vicuña tried to approach the disgraced inspector in Lisbon to talk to her about possible arrangement of their daughter’s custody when Murillo attacked her ex-husband and brutally beat him until he was unconscious”, the reporter said.

It felt like the oxygen had been sucked out of the room and Raquel is running out of air.

“…Murillo was reported to have suffered a mental breakdown after her mother passed away from a heart attack and then followed by her divorce with Vicuña. The latter tried to file for sole custody of their daughter when Murillo kidnapped her own daughter and moved to Portugal. Her location is still unknown but authorities had already issued a warrant for her arrest”, the reported continued.

Sergio repeatedly called her name but she cannot find her voice. She tried to say something but it’s getting harder to breathe. She gasped and struggled until everything went black.


	16. Vacation

“Raquel!” Sergio exclaimed when she suddenly fainted.

He is quick to catch her and gently laid her down the floor with her head on his lap. She passed out when she hyperventilated. Martin was quick to turn off the television. He and Andres had no idea the two were behind them watching the news as well. A contact of Andres informed him of that so he turned on the TV to confirm the information given to him.

Martin checked her pulse and it’s steady despite after having a panic attack. He saw how distraught and angry Sergio looks and Andres can see it too.

“Why don’t you take her in your room? Paula doesn’t need to see her mother unconscious on the floor. I will bring some water later and medicine”, Martin suggested to him and he nodded.

The two watched as Sergio carried Raquel with his arms and brought her to their room. That leaves them with the living room all for themselves. Martin turned to Andres who, despite his calm appearance, is seething in anger deep within.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“I am thinking it’s time for us to visit Madrid”, Andres answered.

Going back to Spain is a big risk especially for Andres since his face has been all over the country after the heist. His identity has been revealed to the public. It won’t be easy hiding in plain sight. On the other hand, Martin can understand why he wants to go back and avenge his brother’s girlfriend. For a very long time, Andres wanted Sergio to fall in love, to experience what he has been experiencing, to find happiness other than perfectly executing a heist all his life. Sergio was finally able to find it in Raquel and he is watching the love of his life get torn to shreds because of her ex-husband. Andres wanted to take care of things for his brother so he wouldn’t have to. Playing dirty is not Sergio’s forte. It’s Andres’.

Besides, abusing women and then playing the victim afterwards is a big no no for them both. Andres may have been a brute sometimes but he will never use his hand to strike a woman. That much Martin is sure of. Getting to know Raquel during the past few weeks, Martin has grown to like her. She is a nice and kind person not to mention smart and witty. She is also open-minded that she learned to accept all of them without any judgments.

“What are you going to tell your brother?” he asked Andres.

“How about we’re going to take a vacation?” Andres suggested.

“…in Madrid? Don’t you think it’s a bit obvious? You know Sergio will not let you go back there and after the news, he will know what you’re up to”, Martin explained.

It is true. Sergio is protective of his brother just like Andres is protective of him but he cannot let Raquel go through more suffering because of that asshole who keeps on ruining her life.

“I will handle my brother. You know I am very persuasive. Can you take care of our papers?” Andres said and then asked.

“Yeah…I got it”, Martin answered.

Sergio sat next to Raquel. He kept thinking how he should’ve just killed Alberto when he had the chance to save Raquel from this dilemma. She now has become a fugitive herself when she shouldn’t be for wanting to keep their daughter safe from a monster.

“What happened?” she asked when she came to.

“You passed out, my love”, he answered as he caressed her cheeks gently.

Raquel squeezed her eyes shut trying to recall what happened before she fainted. It all came back pretty quickly, Paula’s revelation of knowing the truth, the news on the television, her face side by side with Alberto’s on the screen. She felt hot again.

“Relax, Raquel. Please, try to breathe slowly or you’ll pass out again”, he advised.

She’s about to hyperventilate again just thinking about it. Alberto had the nerve to turn everything around to her. She cannot do that damage to his face even if she wants to. With him around, she suddenly loses her voice, her strength. He has that effect on her. He always makes her feel weak. Miles away, he can still make her feel that way.

“I can’t believe he did that”, she muttered.

“Me too”, he agreed.

“Well, I am glad he didn’t recognize you or at least remember that it was you. You’re safe”, she said.

If the police finds out that he has been to Lisbon, they can conduct an investigation and do some tracing. It will be risky for them.

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle everything and I will take care of this, Raquel. I will not let him pin everything on you when you’re not doing anything wrong”, he said.

It makes her feel calmer and safer. She reached to his face and felt his skin.

“I took our daughter and came with you here in Palawan. We are living with few of the most wanted people in Spain. I am not that innocent, Sergio but I don’t regret my choice, not one bit. Thank you for taking care of me but I don’t think we can make the charges go away, my love”, she said.

To be honest, he has no idea how to make the charges disappear. He has no power over the judiciary department of Spain and it’s not like Alberto will willingly withdraw his complaints.

“…but your name, your reputation”, he argued.

“It’s already gone. It has been gone for some time now”, she answered.

…because of him. She left that part but he heard that anyway. She lost her credibility after the heist but just like what she said earlier, she doesn’t regret it.

“I am very sorry”, he apologized.

Paula invaded their room afterwards. They told her that Raquel is not feeling well that’s why she’s on bed rest so the little girl decided to read her Mama some books to cheer her up. Sergio gave them some time alone to talk to his brothers. He found them in their room packing up their things.

“Going somewhere?” he asked.

“Hermanito! We decided it’s time to take some vacation. You and your family finally has settled in here nicely so you won’t be needing any help from us but don’t worry we will come back”, Andres answered with his usual cheery tone.

Martin doesn’t look as excited as he is which tells Sergio something.

“Oh? Where to?” he asked again.

Martin didn’t answer. He wants Andres to answer that.

“Well, in Madrid”, his older brother answered.

Sergio’s eyes widened.

“Madrid? Are you crazy? You are wanted in Madrid. We are wanted over there and you want to take a vacation in Madrid?” he exclaimed.

Martin finally excused himself to let the brothers talk. He cannot be involved in the conversation because he will only be put in the middle and he doesn’t want to take sides.

“Why are you really going back to Madrid, Andres? I know it’s not for some vacation. You’re smarter than that”, he asked when Martin left the room.

Andres sighed and put down the suit he’s holding.

“I have something to take care of. Let’s say there’s a little pest I need to exterminate”, he answered.

Sergio knows how to read between Andres’ words. The man literally raised him. He knows him better than anyone else.

“You’re going after Alberto, aren’t you?” Sergio asked just to confirm and all it took is the look from Andres’ face and he got it. “Andres, it is not necessary. Raquel knows there’s nothing we can do to make the charges disappear and she’s good with it as long as we’re all safe here. Stay here with us”, he explained.

“Oh my hermanito…beating up someone didn’t really teach you anything. The man doesn’t deserve a space in this world and you and I know that. He hurt your woman, the mother of your child, and he had branded her a criminal. I know it’s not in your nature but that’s why I am here. Raquel is family now and no one do something like that to our family and walk away unscathed. Trust me, hermanito. I will take care of everything”, Andres said.


	17. Berlin's Art

Going back to Madrid is a lot easier than what Andres and Martin anticipated. It seems like people had already forgotten about the faces of the gang who robbed the Royal Mint of Spain. Andres even walked right in front of the airport police and they didn’t recognize him.

Martin went to buy some of his favorite clothing line in Spain since stores in Palawan are limited while Andres talked to his contact on the phone. Once they were done with the shopping, the two proceeded to the hotel. The long hours of flight exhausted Andres and despite recovering from his illness, it depleted his energy and stamina. He gets tired easily which is a small price to pay for additional years of life.

“I ordered us some food. This hotel got fantastic menu”, Martin informed him.

“Thank you. Have you try those clothes you bought? I particularly like that suit you picked. It suits very well”, Andres asked.

“I did earlier while you were sleeping. I bought you some too and you can try them on later. Right now, we need because I am starving”, Martin answered.

After having their lunch at their room, they went to work. Andres is not known for doing things abruptly. He likes to do everything with passion and art so what he planned for Alberto won’t be quick. They met his contact by the bar which handed him a file containing all the information gathered about Alberto. Of course, the said contact has been paid generously. 

“Look at this, my love”, Andres called Martin while he was reviewing the files on the bed. “Our police got his sidelines”, he muttered in delight.

Martin smirked. They just got what they needed.

“Oh, this motherfucker is toast”, he said.

Sure enough, Andres released the information to the press. It quickly circulated every platform in the country. The news about Madrid’s Chief Forensic expert being involved in drug business is a massive headline and everyone wants a piece of it. Alberto was arrested and scheduled for trial. It didn’t stop there. Andres continued to release all of his skeletons in his closet which destroyed his reputation in a flash.

The police department tried to trace the source of all the information leaked to the press but they found none. Andres and Martin paid the networks well to hide their identities. It only took the two men to destroy Alberto’s name and reputation in three days. Everyone in Spain bashed him in social media and on the news. There’s an outrage and cry for justice.

Of course, they expected that Alberto will try to escape detention. There are a lot of strong evidences against him and he knows he will not win his case so his last resort is to escape and become fugitive himself.

As soon as Alberto reached his house to get his passport and money, the Serbs are already there waiting for him. They put a bag over his head and dragged him into the van.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Alberto asked while his head is in the bag.

No one answered him. They brought Alberto into an abandoned warehouse away from any neighbors or people that might be able to help him though they doubt after everything they released to the press that anyone would want to help an asshole like him. After they tied him to the ceiling, they finally removed the bag over his head.

Alberto laid eyes on two men in front of him both wearing expensive suits. They didn’t look like the people he worked with in his illegal businesses but they do look familiar.

“Mr. Vicuña, it’s good to finally meet you”, Andres greeted with his usual charming smile.

“Who are you? Why am I here?” Alberto asked.

“Would you rather be back in prison then?” Martin asked him back.

Alberto didn’t answer. He is not sure which fate is worse. Being kept captive by those two or sentenced to years of imprisonment?

“Well, forgive us for lack of manners. We forgot to introduce ourselves. This is Martin and I am Andres De Foñollosa. I believe I am best known as Berlin”, Andres said.

That rang loud in Alberto’s brain. Berlin, a city name. The events of the infamous heist eight years ago came rushing back. He was one of them, the gang who robbed the Mint. So, the abduction has got nothing to do with his illegal transactions. It has something to do with Raquel. The Professor has to be the one behind all of this, he thought.

“How’s my dear wife and daughter then? Do they know you’re doing this to me?” he asked.

The two men are impressed by his arrogance considering he’s the one chained to the ceiling like an animal. Honestly, Martin couldn’t find any qualities why Raquel chose to marry him after all. He got nothing on Sergio.

“Well, no one knows you’re here except us. It is a perfect setup, isn’t it? The world knows you escaped prison so if you suddenly disappeared, let’s say…indefinitely, no one will even care to look for you, to save you”, Martin taunted.

He is a fugitive after all. The only people who will be looking for him are the police who want to put him behind bars for tainting the entire department’s reputation.

“What do you want from me?” Alberto asked.

“Ah…straight to negotiation…I can work with that. Simple, I want you to confess on record that Raquel did not beat you up, that you were the one who hit her. You will confess that you’ve been abusing your ex-wife and that’s the reason why she divorced you and took her daughter away”, Andres answered.

Alberto chuckled and then burst out laughing.

“Yeah, good luck with that”, he muttered.

Martin and Andres looked at each other and shrugged.

“That’s unfortunate. Lucky for you, we’re both patient people so let’s try this again tomorrow. I am quite hungry”, Martin suggested.

“It’s getting late anyway. I am dying for that wine so see you tomorrow, Mr. Vicuña”, Andres said and then left along with Martin leaving Alberto with the Serbs who got tons of ideas on how to play with him all night.

When they returned the next day, Alberto’s face is all messed up. The Serbs really did a number on him last night.

“So, Mr. Vicuña, I hope you had time last night to think through our offer. It’s not really that hard”, Andres said.

Martin handed the coffee and doughnuts they bought for the Serbs. They hadn’t have their breakfast yet so they bought some along the way.

“Fine. Fine. I’ll do it”, Alberto yielded to their delight.

Alberto confessed everything not just the abuse but everything. It’s like he just cleansed his soul and poured it all on the recorder. Once he’s done, Andres is very satisfied. The man in chains has been totally broken which is how he wanted him to be.

“Now, I hope this confession will grant you passage to the pearly gates”, he muttered.

“I thought you’re going to let me go”, Alberto said.

“Oh, did we say that? I don’t remember ever mentioning that part. No, darling…we are not letting you go, not out in this world anyway but you will be free. I promise you”, Andres informed him and nodded to the Serbs to finish the job.


	18. We're Finally Free

The absence of Andres and Martin didn’t go unnoticed for Raquel. Sergio told her they went on a vacation and she should buy that but her guts are telling her something is up with those two. They just don’t go on a vacation after what happened. It’s not like she expects them to stay for her but it’s not the sensible thing to do while one of your family members is going through a rough patch. She likes to consider herself part of the family. She is part of them, right?

The vacation didn’t last long. Andres and Martin returned after two weeks. They both showered Paula with gifts from where they went and Raquel could swear she knows the store where they bought the dress they gifted her daughter. She debated in her head but they would be insane to go back to Spain because they’re fugitives but that dress is only sold at that store in Madrid. She knows that because she used to buy dresses there for Paula. If they truly went there, what for? The two might have been impulsive and reckless but they don’t do things without reason. That much she’s sure of. 

“For my brother’s beloved, I thought this will suit you well”, Andres said to her and handed her a shopping bag.

She smiled and thanked him before opening the bag. It’s a yellow summer dress. It is gorgeous. She has to admit that Andres got taste when it comes to fashion and he got hers. She loves the dress.

The question about why they went back to Spain temporarily disappeared in her head for a moment after seeing how happy Paula and Sergio are about their return. She doesn’t want to ruin the moment. After lunch, Ana took Paula outside to play with her new sets of toys from Madrid while the four of them remained at the living room feasting on the mangoes requested by Martin. He said he missed the fruit so much.

“So, the little princess already knew that you’re her father?” Andres asked when they told them about their talk with Paula.

They were supposed to tell them that last few weeks but were interrupted by that news on the television.

“Yes, she overheard me and Raquel talking about it and she remembered me mentioning about the blood types. She figured it out but she didn’t say anything because she’s more afraid that her mother will get mad for eavesdropping”, Sergio answered and they burst into laughing.

Raquel suddenly had the urge to turn the television on. Martin and Andres danced at the commercial’s song and Sergio laughed at their silliness while she sliced more mangoes for them to enjoy. Suddenly, the news came on and it’s Spanish.

“Now, for the breaking news. Inspector Alberto Vicuña who escaped prison after being arrested for corruption and drug related cases had been found dead in an abandoned warehouse…” the reported said.

Raquel gasped when the knife she’s holding slipped and cut her own skin. Martin and Andres remained silent while Sergio rushed to her to check her finger but she waved him off to listen to the news.

“…Vicuña was found hanging by the ceiling of the warehouse in chains. According to the autopsy, he suffered from broken bones but the cause of death is the bullet in his head…” the reporter added.

He is dead. Alberto is dead, she thought in her head like she cannot believe it. She didn’t know about his being arrested for corruption because she’s been wrapped up with her daughter and she did her best to avoid the news about herself being wanted. 

Sergio turned off the television and put a towel around her bleeding finger. She forgot about that. She didn’t even feel it until he wrapped it. To be honest, she doesn’t know what to feel about that news. They’re finally free of him. She doesn’t need to worry that one day Alberto will find the island and take Paula away from her. It’s all over. She wanted to jump in joy but she thought about Paula. What would she think of all this? He may not be a good husband but he did take care of Paula when she was younger. He wasn’t a total asshole from the start. He had his good moments. How is she going to tell her daughter that?

“Can you tell me again why you went on a vacation for two weeks?” she asked Martin and Andres.

“Personal reasons”, Andres answered confidently.

“Ahh…it must have been so personal that you went back to Madrid despite being international fugitives”, she muttered.

The two men looked impressed. They had underestimated that Raquel was a former inspector. She has that instinct by nature.

“…very”, he agreed.

Sergio tensed when Raquel went closer to the two guys. He doesn’t know what to expect. Is she mad that they killed Alberto? They’ve been together for years. For sure, there was a good phase in that relationship somehow. Raquel looked at them both and smiled a little.

“Thank you”, she whispered and leaned on Andres.

The big brother immediately wrapped his arms around her for comfort. He too was nervous about what’s going to be her reaction. That’s why they chose not to say anything. Martin thinks she will be mad because they interfered but apparently he’s wrong. Martin joined in the hug and petted her hair.

“No one messes with this family, always remember that”, Andres whispered to her.

She is part of the family. When Paula came in, she frowned at seeing her mother being embraced by both Andres and Martin.

“Mama, is everything okay?” she asked.

Raquel pulled back and turned to her daughter while minding her finger in a towel.

“Yes, sweetie but I have something to tell you. It is not a good news and I need you to be brave, alright?” Paula nodded. “Your Papa Alberto had passed away, sweetheart. I’m sorry”, she said.

Her daughter’s eyes shone a bit but the tears didn’t fall somehow. Instead, Paula wiped the tears that had fallen from her mother’s eyes.

“It’s okay, Mama. Papa Alberto will be in heaven now with Abuela and they will be watching over us. We still have family here. We have Papa Sergio, Uncle Andres and Uncle Martin…plus Ana!” she said.

Raquel smiled at her daughter and chuckled. Death is so much simpler to kids and she wished life will always be this simple for her. She pulled her daughter for an embrace and then pressed a kiss on her cheeks.

“Well, why don’t you bother your uncles to play with you outside while Mama and Papa clean this all up”, she suggested and she heard Andres groaned at it.

He hates playing by the beach but when Paula gave him her sad puppy dog eyes, he’s done. The two went with Paula leaving Sergio and Raquel alone in the living room.

“Are you okay?” he asked in concern.

“Yes, my love. I felt relieved. I don’t condone what your brother and Martin had done but I appreciate it. I can finally stop thinking of him showing up one day here to take our daughter away”, she answered.

He doesn’t know she thinks that but he’s glad it’s over now. She can finally be at ease and feel completely safe with him. He doesn’t condone either what Andres and Martin did but he understood where they were coming from. He felt the same way. He just doesn’t have the same guts to pull it off.

“No one is going to hurt you again. Like what Andres said, no one messes with this family and you and Paula are family. You’re my family. We’re going to be okay all of us”, he said.

She likes the sound of that. The two watched Paula, Martin, and Andres played with her dolls by the beach. It is a perfect picture and they all looked so happy. It’s her family.

“We should take a look at that finger, my love. We don’t want that to get infected”, Sergio said.

She laughed once she remembered again about her finger. How can one focus on a small cut when she got everything she ever wanted in life right in front of her? A small cut is a very small price compare to the gift she was given…a family, a second chance, happiness, and love.

“You’re right. Let’s go and I can show you a few tricks that don’t need this wounded finger”, she teased and it made him raised an eyerbrow.

“Well, in that case”, he muttered and then scooped her up and carried her to their bedroom while she cannot stop giggling.

~~FIN~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it for this one. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as i enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for reading!!!


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